Our Table in May
The Sobremesa Lunch
If I’m being honest, lunch is my least favorite meal of the day. There’s nothing I love more than a long breakfast that stretches over the course of a morning or a dinner that takes you well into the night. Lunch is neither here nor there.
That is unless we’re on vacation. If we are traveling anywhere, but in particular Europe, there is nothing I love more than a long lunch that starts with appetizers, a glass of white or rosé and somehow stretches into the late afternoon. No agenda, no rush, just good food and even better company.
That is the lunch Mom and I set out to recreate this May. And that is exactly how The Sobremesa Lunch was born.
Mom and I were inspired by the word Sobremesa. In Spain, it literally means to linger around the table after the meal is over, perhaps over a coffee or a glass of wine, with the understanding that the community is just as important as the food itself. We don’t have a word for it in English and honestly, we should.
We landed on the Sobremesa lunch to honor the importance of slowing down, especially in a season where things can fly by if we are not intentional. Summer has a way of doing that. One day it is Memorial Day and the next it is Labor Day and you are wondering where it all went.
Setting the Table
When it came to setting the table, we wanted to keep things very neutral. After realizing this was our first lunch we had ever hosted, we quickly figured out that our normal table setup would have left us in the beating hot sun by noon. So we moved the table to the backyard where the trees would give way to shade and immediately the ambiance shifted.
From there we let the greenery do the work. The table stayed neutral with a brown paper table runner, our favorite ceramic plates, and the classic woven placemats you see from us weekly. Simple, intentional, and very Sobremesa.
You can find everything we used linked in The Sobremesa Lunch Collection.
Takeaway Gifts
We wanted our takeaway gifts to fit the theme so we kept things Spanish inspired. We put together a little box with a trendy tin of Fishwife sardines paired with a Spanish olive oil. After I posted that we were doing sardines, so many of you came back with much better pairing ideas than olive oil but it worked and we stood by it. That said, if you were to recreate this party I think a good artisan cracker or a fresh local baguette would be an equally strong pairing, if not stronger.
Regardless, it is always more about the thought than anything else.
Atmosphere and Experience
What started as one table has become an entire experience. When we host, we want you to be able to recreate every part of it, not just the food. So we put together mood boards on Pinterest and playlists on Spotify for every dinner party so you have the full resources to encapsulate the atmosphere at your own table.
There is something wonderful about creating a world around the table. The idea goes so much deeper than just one meal. It is about making the meal a moment. Is it necessary? Certainly not. Is it a ton of fun? Yes. And if you want your guests to partake you can always send them your inspo ahead of time.
For The Sobremesa Lunch we blasted our playlist from the house on a Friday afternoon so you could hear it all the way in the backyard. If that is not a summer afternoon I do not know what is.
Signature Drink
Mom and I have been on a summer drink kick lately as we are in the middle of launching our Sips of the Summer series. For The Sobremesa Lunch we wanted something light and easy so we landed on a white sangria. I was feeling particularly creative that day and put together my own version of the recipe.
What I love about sangria for hosting is that you make it ahead, it sits and gets better, and you are not playing bartender all afternoon. I made a full alcoholic batch and had LaCroix ready to go as our mocktail with fruit already prepped in the glasses so nobody felt left out.
You can find our Sobremesa Sangria recipe linked below.
Stories around the Table
Every dinner party we ask one question as we set the entree down. One intentional conversation for the whole table.
For The Sobremesa Lunch our question was:
What is a moment from the last year you know you will never forget?
Some talked about memorable meals. Others shared life changing job offers, a moment of crisis turned to celebration, a trip they did not want to come home from. It was a Friday afternoon in the middle of a busy season and yet time stood still. There was belly laughing. There were tears. And I truly believe we embraced Sobremesa in every sense of the word.
Recipes
Mom has been making paella for a few summers now. There is something about that big pan coming out in the middle of the afternoon that makes it feel like an occasion. We made two versions this time around, a chicken paella and a seafood paella, because why choose.
We paired the paella with a few other dishes that felt right for the afternoon. One being Mom’s Tarta de Santiago, a traditional Spanish almond cake with the cross of Saint James dusted on top in powdered sugar. This is a dessert Mom has been making for some time now and one of my favorites. One thing I love about her is the desire to keep things authentic and the passion to learn about the recipes and the culture behind them.
Not every dish was strictly traditional. We did serve a broccolini with Parmesan but, we had a lot of fun with this menu and this afternoon. And that is always the point.
Below you will find links to each recipe. The chicken and seafood paella recipes along with the Tarta de Santiago are linked to their original sources. The whipped white bean dip, whipped feta, tossed citrus arugula salad are all ours and linked as individual recipe posts.
Charred Broccolini with Lemon Oil & Parmesan
Tarta De Santiago (Mom has been making this for years and it never disappoints.)
As always, thank you for pulling up a chair for another afternoon with Our Table’s Company.
Until the next table.
Annette & Georgia
How early do you send invites and how much time for RSVPs? Inviting is the hardest part, as you’ve said….
Where can I find the link to the whipped feta? Thank you!